Study Questions 16: Tu Apr 22: Talking Trash: Racey, Class and Sexy Talk Shows

1. Where, according to Tavener, does the high versus low culture distinction come from historically? What purpose does she think it plays in contemporary culture?

2. Why does she think both right and left wing attacks on "trash TV" support the dominant class?

3. Gamson, in contrast to Tavener, focuses on sexuality more than class, but comes likewise to value certain aspects of talk shows. Why? What does he think makes them (sometimes) valuable?

4. Which of Gamson's examples of the possible positive impacts of talk show "freak shows" do you find most/least convincing?

4. How do questions of race and class get tangled up with sexuality in Gamsons's account?

5. What production factors favor a relatively positive treatment of sexual non-conformity on talk shows?

6. How is it that talk shows get to break the basic rule of television to go for the blandest topics in order to assure the widest possible audience?

7. What does Moorti see as the most positive dimensions of the talk show rape discussions she analyzes?

8. What does she see as the prime limitations of these discussions? What aspects of talk shows does she think largely accounts for those limitations?

9. On what points do you see agreement among the various commnetators? What do you see as their major disagreements? to what extent can their differences be accounted for by differing methods or appraches? To what extent do they seem based on differences in cultural and social assumptions and values?

10. Based on your own experiences watching talk shows, which of these analyses do you find most convincing and why? What kind of important issues would you raise that they have not discussed?